Counting mechanism



Dec. 17, 1957 P. T. MENOHER couuwmc MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10. 1955 Dec. 17, 1957 P. T. MENOHER coumrmc MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 10. 1953 P519125 01v IHENOHER United States Patent 2,816,708 COUNTING MECHANISM Pearson T. Menoher, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Owens- ]llinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application March 10, 1953, Serial No. 341,448 11 Claims. (Cl. 235-92) My invention relates to automatic counting apparatus which may be used for counting various articles or objects. The invention provides means for directing a blast or stream of air or gas across the path of the articles which are to be counted. The stream of gas issues from a blowing nozzle and is directed against a pickup device which is connected through piping to a pressure sensitive device such as a bellows. The pressure applied to the bellows operatively controls an electrical switch in a controlling circuit. Each article as it passes the blast of air or gas intercepts the flow to the pickup device and reduces the pressure applied to the bellows, thereby causing the latter to operate the electrical switch. This effects the operation of electroresponsive means, such as an electron tube, which may operate a relay for closing the circuit of a counter or counters. The latter may be of well-known or conventional construction and operate to register the number of articles as they are counted.

The invention may be used for counting a great variety of articles. In the form herein illustrated and described it is used for counting glass bottles, jars or other ware placed on a conveyor by which the articles are carried in rapid succession past the stream of gas. When used for counting hot glassware, for example, hot bottles in their passage from the blowing mold to the annealing leer, a heating coil or element may be provided in the supply line for heating the gas or air and thereby avoiding objectionable thermal shock to the hot articles. The apparatus is particularly adapted for counting articles in hot, dangerous or inaccessible locations since the sensing elements comprising the nozzle, pickup and their supporting frame and the piping can be placed in any location while the more delicate parts and all moving parts, including the pressure sensitive device, electrical elements and counter may be placed in a more protected or suitable location.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view in diagrammatic form, of an apparatus embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram of the electrical apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the blowing nozzle, pickup and their supporting frame;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified arrangement of the parts and a jar in position to interrupt the air blast; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the pressure sensitive bellows and electrical switch operated thereby.

Referring to Fig. 1, a pressure line 9 comprises a pressure supply pipe 10 through which air or gas under pressure is supplied to an air separator 11 provided with a drain cock 12. The pressure line is provided with a pressure regulator 13, a stop valve 14, a strainer 15, a pressure gauge 16 and a heating coil 17. The pressure line extends fro-m the heating coil to the blowing nozzle 19 mounted in a supporting frame 21 in which is also mounted a pickup device 22.

The pickup device is of tubular form being provided with an opening or passageway 23- extending therethrough and communicating with a conduit in the form of a pipe 24. The opening 23, which forms the entrance or intake opening of the conduit 24, is located opposite to and in line with the discharge opening 25 of the nozzle 19 so that the blast of air or gas 26' from the nozzle is directed to 2,816,708 Patented Dec. 17, 1957 the opening 23 and builds up pressure in the pipe 24. This pressure is transmitted through the pipe 24 to a pressure sensitive device 25, herein shown as a bellows, mounted on a supporting arm 26. An electrical switch or contact device comprises a contact 27 mounted on the arm 26 and a contact 28 carried on a spring arm 29 at tached at 30 to support 26. The arm 29 carries a finger 32 in contact with or connected to the diaphragm 33 of the bellows.

The articles which are being counted, shown in Fig. 1 as bottles 35, are supported on an endless traveling conveyor 36 by which they are carried in rapid succession past the blowing nozzle. The frame 21 is suspended by a screw-threaded rod 40 from a bracket 37 attached to the conveyor frame 38. The frame 21 is adjustable up and down by means of the screw-threaded rod 40 to accommodate articles of different heights.

The air blast 26 builds up a pressure in the pipe 24. This pressure, applied to the diaphragm 33 and transmitted to the arm 29, serves to hold the switch contact 28 separated from the contact 27. As each article 35 intercepts the air blast the pressure on the diaphragm is reduced so that the spring arm 29 closes the contacts 27, 28.

The electrical operating and controlling devices will be understood by reference to Fig. 2. Power is supplied through a transformer comprising a primary coil 44 and secondary coils 45 and 46. A gas-filled tube or Thyratro-n 47 includes a heating element 48 in circuit with the coil 46. The coil 46 also supplies a negative bias to the control grid 50 of the Thyratron. The secondary transformer coil 45 supplies current in the plate circuit of the tube 47. When the voltage on the anode plate 51 is positive, the control grid 50 is negative, the bias on the grid being suflicient to prevent the tube 47 from conducting. The grid voltage is adjustable by means of the variable resistance 52 in circuit therewith.

When the pressure contacts 27, 28 are brought together the grid 50 is directly connected through the contacts to the ground wire 53 so that the grid is at zero potential, thereby permitting the gas tube to conduct. This supplies current to the solenoid 55 of a relay comprising contact bars 56 and 57, the coil 55 being connected in the plate circuit of the tube. When the coil 55 is energized the contact bars are moved to closed position. The bar 56 completes a circuit through a counter 59 which then receives current from the secondary transformer coil 45. A signal lamp 58 or other signalling device, connected in parallel with the counter 59 indicates when the counter is operated. The contact bar 57 completes the circuit for a supplemental counter 60 and a signal lamp 61. A switch 62 in circuit with the counter 60 and lamp 61 may normally be left open and may be closed manually for any measured period of time, for example, one minute, as may be desired for determining the rate at which the articles are passing or being counted.

The operation is as follows:

Air or other gas under pressure is continuously supplied through the tank 10 and pressure line 9 so that a blast or stream of air issues from the nozzle 19 and is directed against the receiver or pickup 22 and the pneumatic pressure transmitted through the pipe 24 to the bellows 25 This pressure applied to the diaphragm 33 of the bellows operates through the arm 29 to hold the pressure switch contact 28 in open position. The control grid 50 of the Thyratron is at this time receiving negative voltage from the transformer coil 46 when the voltage on the plate 51 is positive and is thereby biased sufliciently to prevent firing of the tube. The articles 35 on the traveling con veyor 36 move in succession across the path of the air blast 26' so that each article thereby intercepts the stream of air and reduces the pressure on the diaphragm 33,

I causing the pressure switch contact 28 to be moved to closed position during each such interruption of the stream flow. Closing of the pressure switch removes the bias from the control grid 50 and permits the tube to fire, thereby supplying current to the relay coil 55 which then operates to complete the circuit for the counter 59, causing it to operate in a conventional manner for counting the articles. The supplemental counter 60 also will be operated in like manner when the manual switch 62 is closed during a measured interval of time for indicating the rate at which the articles are being conveyed past the counting apparatus.

Fig. 4- illustrates a modified form of supporting frame 65, nozzle 66 and pickup 67, particularly adapted for use in counting square or cylindrical jars 68 or other articles of similar shape and when they are close together on the conveyor, with no space between them for passage of the air stream. In this arrangement the air blast 26 is directed diagonally across a corner or comparatively narrow portion of the article, thus reducing the required distance between the nozzle and pickupl The funnel shape of the pickup 67 assists in building up the pressure in the pipe 24.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for counting articles comprising means for conveying the articles in succession along a predetermined path and past a predetermined point, means for directing through the open air, an unconfined stream of gas under pressure across the path of the articles at said point, a pressure-sensitive device positioned beyond and remote from said point, a conduit extending from the pressuresensitive device toward said point and having a receiving end open to the ambient atmosphere and positioned within the path of the unconfined stream of gas, said pressuresensitive device being operative by pneumatic pressure applied at said open end of the conduit and transmitted through said conduit, an electrically operated counter, and means actuated by the pressure-sensitive device to establish an electrical circuit for the counter.

2. Apparatus for counting articles comprising conveying means for moving the articles in succession past a predetermined point, means for directing a stream of gas across the path of the articles at said point whereby said stream of gas is intercepted by each said article, a conduit having an end open to the ambient atmosphere, in the path of and facing said stream of gas and in which conduit pneumatic pressure is built up by said gas, said conduit having a discharge end positioned at a point remote from said stream, a pressure-sensitive device located at the discharge end of the conduit and operative by the said pressure, a counter, and means actuated by said pressure-sensitive device to efifect the operation of the counter.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, said pressuresensitive device comprising a diaphragm, and the said means actuated thereby comprisin an electrical switch.

4. Apparatus for counting articles comprising means for conveying the articles in succession past a predetermined point, means comprising a nozzle for directing a blast of air across the path of the articles at said point, a conduit having an end open to the ambient atmosphere and in the path of said blast, a bellows comprising a diaphragm associated with said conduit and subjected to pressure transmitted through the conduit, an electrically operated counter, a switch, means operated by the diaphragm for opening and closing the switch, and electroresponsive means controlled by said switch for effecting the operation of the counter.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4, said electroresponsive means comprising a gas-filled tube, said switch being in circuit with the control grid of the tube, a relay comprising a magnet coil in the plate circuit of the tube, and contact means actuated by the relay for completing a circuit for the counter.

6. Apparatus for counting articles comprising means for moving the articles in succession past a predetermined point, means for directing a blast of air across the path of the articles at said point, a pressure conduit having an entrance opening in the path of said blast and an outlet remote from said entrance opening, a bellows comprising a diaphragm positioned and arranged to receive pneumatic pressure transmitted through said conduit and outlet, an electrical switch and means for transmitting movement from the diaphragm to a contact of said switch for opening and closing the switch, a counter, and means controlled by the switch for effecting the operation of the counter.

7. Apparatus for counting articles, said apparatus cornprising a horizontal traveling conveyor on which the articles are carried, a supporting frame spaced above the conveyor, a nozzle mounted in said frame at one side of the path of the articles, a pressure conduit positioned at the opposite side of said path and having an entrance opening in register with said nozzle and a discharge end at a position remote from the said entrance opening, pressure-sensitive means positioned at said discharge end of the conduit and arranged to receive pneumatic pressure transmitted through said conduit, an electrical switch, and means forming an operating connection between the pressure-sensitive means and the said switch.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7, said apparatus including a pressure line through which air under pressure is transmitted to said nozzle, and a heating coil in said line.

9. Apparatus for counting articles comprising means for conveying the articles in succession past a predetermined point, an electric switch comprising switch contacts, one of which is movable to and from the other for closing and opening the switch, means for applying a holding force to the movable contact by which the contacts are held separated, means actuated by each article as it reaches said point to oppose said holding force and thereby close the switch, a thyratron, means controlled by said switch for causing the thyratron to conduct, an electrical counter, a relay comprising a coil in the plate circuit of the thyratron and a switch contact operated by said coil and operative to establish a circuit for the counter, the said means controlled by the switch including a transformer coil in circuit with the control grid of the thyratron and operative to bias the grid and thereby prevent firing of the thyratron while the said switch is open, said switch being in a circuit to bypass the transformer coil when the switch is closed and thereby permitting the operation of the thyratron.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9, the said means for applying a holding force to the movable switch contact including means for directing a stream of air across the path of the articles at said predetermined point, and means actuated by the air pressure of said stream to hold the movable contact in open position.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 9, the means for applying a holding force to the movable switch contact comprising means for directing a stream of air across the path of the articles at said point, a conduit having one end open and in the path of said air stream, a diaphragm in position to receive pressure transmitted through said conduit, the said movable switch contact being operatively connected to the diaphragm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,162,475 Gibson Nov. 30, 1915 1,836,655 Dunford Dec. 15, 1931 2,047,665 Beggs July 14, 1936 2,260,781 Kisylia et al. Oct. 28, 1941 2,543,790 Maher et al. Mar. 6, 1951 2,609,686 Peterson Sept. 9, 1952 

